Oarlock



c. THQORSEN Jan. 7, 1947.

OAHLOCK Filed Oct. 2 4, 1945 INVENTOR. Gal-afar: Thom-ea- Afromvsy Patented Jan. 7, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OARLOCK Carsten Thor-sen, Seattle, Wash.

Application October 24, 1945, Serial No. 624,253

3 Claims.

This invention relates to oar-locks, and particularly to oar-locks for noiseless operation by inexperienced users.

In the use of ordinary oar-locks particularly by inexperienced operators, the oar-locks frequently become separated from the oars and boats and are lost either overboard, or mislaid elsewhere. Beginners also frequently lose control of the oars when used with ordinary car looks, as the car handles become twisted in the hands and if the blades of the cars are beneath the surface of the water when the handles are twisted or turned partially around, the blades are then difficult to raise from the water in the usual manner for taking a forward stroke. Such difiiculty with the oars leads to conditions known as being swamped, or catching a crab, and may be dangerous in rough water, or prevent the regular movement of the swamped car, which sometimes causes loss of a race in competitive use of a boat. Again in the use of ordinary swivel pins for oar-locks, in different sized sockets found on different boats, the pins must be small enough for use in small sockets, and may then be too loose in larger sockets, or if made large enough for a good fit in the larger sockets will either bind in a smaller socket or cannot be entered therein; and when the pins fit too loosely in the sockets, vibration and noises result. Even in case of proper fits of the pins in sockets when first assembled, the ordinary friction soon causes wear and reduces the sizes of the pins or increases the sizes of the sockets, and the noises and vibrations follow.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an oar-lock and assembly therefor, whereby the ordinary difficulties above stated and others, will be eliminated.

Particular objects of the invention, are to provide a swivel pin, with the lower end thereof tapered, to fit snugly in sockets of various sizes without vibration, the upper portion to be straight for a pintle on which is rotatably mounted a cheek plate with a bearing face perpendicularly disposed, together with a block provided with a perpendicular bearing face for cooperation against the cheek plate, and the opposite side of the block concaved longitudinally for fitting against and reinforcing the shaft of an oar, together with a connecting bolt horizontally fixed through the shaft and rotatably disposed through both the plate and block, whereby the blade of the car is sustained vertically and may be easily and positively raised and lowered, and moved forward and backward for the usual strokes thereof for rowing.

With these and other objects to be hereinafter stated I have illustratively exemplified my invention by the accompanying drawing of which:

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the oar-lock in position on the gunwale of a boat,

and an oar in place.

Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan of the oarlock assembly and a fragment of an oar shaft in full lines, and dotted lines showing lateral movement for the car.

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the assembly and a fragment of an oar shaft in full lines, and dotted lines showing vertical movement for the oar.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary View of parts in section, taken on line 4-4 on Figure 3.

Like characters on the different figures represent like parts.

The letter A represents the loom or shaft of any oar, with the usual blade B, on the extended outer portion thereof. The letter C represents the side wall or shell of any row boat, with a reinforcing inner strip which with the side wall forms the usual gunwale D.

Numeral 5 indicates a reinforcng block, with the outer side concaved as at 5 to conform with the convex surface of the oar shaft, while the inner side of the block is flattened perpendicularly for a bearing face 5", for a corresponding flat bearing face I on cheek plate 6. A bolt 8 is loosely disposed through holes through the block and plate, and the outer portion of the bolt is attached through the oar shaft at right angles to the blade, with a head 8 binding against the shaft, for rigidity therethrough, and a nut 9 on the inner end of the bolt for adjusting and for sustaining the block securely against the shaft, and the inner face of the block and bearing face of the cheek plate in ro tatable and operative relation against each other, to facilitate the lowering and raising of the blade in and out of the water in positive vertical positions at all times, and to thus prevent the blade from becoming accidentally swamped or retained beneath the surface of the water, and particularly beneath high waves. A jamb nut ii is preferably positioned over the nut 9 to prevent any change in the adjusted positions of the plate and block, whereby excessive looseness would cause vibration and noise. The block 5 and plate 6 freely rock against each other on the bolt 8 for a pivot, when the shaft and the blade of the car are to be lowered and raised in the usual manner for rowing.

A boss or hub H1 is preferably formed integral on the inner face of the plate 6 which is provided for hooks or snaps 20, on a chain 2|, whereby the plate 6 may be prevented from accidental displacement from the pintle, and the tapered base from accidental displacement from the socket, respectively. By removal of the upper snap the oar may be removed and the pintle left in fixed position on the boat, or the lower snap may be released and the pintle removed with the car from the boatfor safe keeping.

Itwill be understood that the tapered base for the pintle or swivel pin, may be used in connection with the usual sockets of various sizes on various boats, as the lower end of the taper is preferably small enough to enter any ordinary socket sufficiently to remain in the pintle and assembly in suitable position. The tapered base so becomes fixed in relation to the socket, and no wear follows the use of the car thereover as the plate rotates freely on the pintle for lateral movement of the oar, While the bolt from the oar through the plate and block provide free pivotal vertical movement of the car without vibration or noise. The block is relatively long for reinforcement and for distributing the stress against the shaft of the car when it is positioned in front of the pintle as a fulcrum, thus tending to prevent the car from breaking opposite the pin, as frequently occurs against ordinary rowlocks and thole pins.

Having described my invention, I claim as new:

1. A device for oar-locks for row boats, comprising; a rod having the lower portions thereof tapered for binding tightly into swivel sockets of various sizes, a shoulder on the rod above the tapered portion for supporting a cheek plate and the portion above the shoulder extended perpendicularly with a straight shank for a swivel pin for the cheek plate, a cheek plate rotatably mounted upon the pin to facilitate lateral move ments of an oar one side of the plate being fiattened perpendicularly for a bearing face, a block having one side thereof flattened perpendicularly for a face for operating against the face of the plate, and the opposite side of the block being concaved longitudinally to conform with the rounded shaft of an oar, said block being relatively long for reinforcing the car and for distributing stress applied thereto when rowing, a bolt horizontally mounted through the car shaft at right angles to the blade and extended through the block and plate for a pivot pin to maintain the face of the block against the cheek plate in rocking disposition to facilitate vertical movements of the oar blade into and from the water, for rowing.

2. A device for oar-locks including a swivel pin having the lower portion tapered for fitting into sockets of various sizes of various boats, the upper portion of the pin being extended perpendicularly with straight bearing sides for a pintle, a cheek plate rotatably mounted on. the pintle and having one side thereof flattened perpendicularly for a bearing face against a block, a block attached along one of its sides to the shai't of an car and having the other side thereof flattened perpendicularly for a bearing face ag inst the plate, an axle extended from the block horizontally and pivotally through the cheek plate for connecting the ear to the pin in operative relation to facilitate both lateral and vertical movements of the oar.

3. In a device for oar-locks, including. a swivel pin, having the upper portion thereof straight perpendicularly, a shoulder selow such straight portion for sustaining a face plate, the lower portion of the pin being tapered inward and downward from the shoulder for adjustable dirposition in boat sockets of various sizes, a cheek plate rotatably mounted on the pin over the shoulder to facilitate lateral movements of the car, and having its outer face flattened perpendicularly, a block having one side concaved for conforming with the convex shaft of an oar, and the other side flattened perpendicularly for cooperative adjustment against the flattened face 5o movements of the car.

CARSTEN THOR/SEN. 

